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Kama, lusty desires, and greediness, not satisfied with the minimum necessities of life, want to increase more and more

Expressions researched:
"kāma, lusty desires, and greediness, not satisfied with the minimum necessities of life, want to increase more and more"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

What is that rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa? Now, kāma, lusty desires, and greediness, not satisfied with the minimum necessities of life, want to increase more and more, more and more. That is called greediness. The Vedic civilization teaches that "Be satisfied with the minimum necessities of life. Don't increase unnecessary necessities of life, and then you have to work for it very hard like hogs and dogs." That's all.

There are three guṇas—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. If you remain in the lower platforms, tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa . . . Tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa means, as I have already explained, greediness and lust, desires. That is tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). What is that rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa? Now, kāma, lusty desires, and greediness, not satisfied with the minimum necessities of life, want to increase more and more, more and more. That is called greediness. The Vedic civilization teaches that "Be satisfied with the minimum necessities of life. Don't increase unnecessary necessities of life, and then you have to work for it very hard like hogs and dogs." That's all. Then you have to work very . . . Modern world, they have increased their unnecessary necessities of life, and therefore you'll find how hard-working. In European and American cities we have seen how people are working very hard, beginning from morning at five o'clock till four o'clock next night, for sense gratification. So this is not civilization. This is condemned civilization. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This is not civilization. This is animal civilization, working so hard day and night for eating. That is the business of the hogs and dogs. You will find the hogs and dog, they are loitering on the street whole day and night: "Where is food? Where is sex?" That is not civilization. They must be peaceful, brāhmaṇa. Of course, not that everyone can be elevated to the position of a brāhmaṇa, but at least they must have the chance to see that "Here is a class of men, brāhmaṇa." That is wanted. Otherwise the civilization is failure.

Therefore it is said, na brāhmaṇais tulaye bhūtam anyat. Actual brāhmaṇa, not the so-called brāhmaṇa. That was the Vedic culture. Just like Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When He received Sudāmā Vipra, a brāhmaṇa, He immediately vacated His own seat: "My dear friend, sit down here." And, hmm . . . Kṛṣṇa's first wife?

Devotee: Rukmiṇī.

Prabhupāda: Rukmiṇī. He (she) took immediately the cāmara. He (she) said, "My husband is respecting." But he was dressed very poorly, lean and thin. Brāhmaṇa, because they refuse unnecessary necessities of life, sometimes they look very poor, poverty-stricken. They are not poverty-stricken; they are the richest. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtiṁ śritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). Those who are engaged in bhajana never think of their poverty. No. They are not poor. Otherwise, if Sudāmā Vipra, externally he looked very poor, lean and thin, not very nice cloth . . . Kṛṣṇa is: "My dear friend, sit down here." He brought water, washed the feet, just respectable person, guru, brāhmaṇa. This is etiquette. Kṛṣṇa is showing personally. He is the king. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also respects a brāhmaṇa. When Nārada used to come to Kṛṣṇa, immediately He would get down from the seat and offer obeisances, and Nārada was smiling, "Just see Kṛṣṇa's līlā."

So this is the way, brāhmaṇa. That brāhmaṇa, the . . . India, the brāhmaṇas, their sons later on, later ages, taking advantage of the facility offered to the brāhmaṇas, so without qualification of brāhmaṇa, they wanted the facility for nothing, very cheap. Therefore the brahminical culture is failure now. They are . . . They should be real brāhmaṇas, śamo damo. But nobody is prepared to practice śamo damo titikṣa, but he wants the respect of a brāhmaṇa. This is the cause of India's culture being failure at the present moment. They . . . "First deserve, then desire." So without deserving, they desired. Therefore whole thing is . . . it became false. So that is not the purpose. Even somebody says that "Without culture one can remain a brāhmaṇa," but śāstra does not say that. Śāstra says culture is the first consideration.

Page Title:Kama, lusty desires, and greediness, not satisfied with the minimum necessities of life, want to increase more and more
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-09-03, 11:55:28
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1